Dreamland BBQ

05/07/2008 Posted by stevieboy68

Had their ribs. Pretty bad quality meat. Burned pieces, very hard sharp bones, did not appear to be smoked but grilled. The rub was good but it just wasn't smoked properly. Couldn't detect the pink ring. Just gray. I got the feeling I had old ones precooked or something. Tough meat, had to pull the dry meat off the bones and was cutting my mouth over the charred, black bones. Never had ribs like this before so "ain't nothing like them anywhere" as their slogan indicates is right on. Really dissapointed as I was hoping for much better fare. Sides were good and the sauce was ok although I would have rather liked a preference instead of just their one signature sauce. Pretty arrogant to think that it's so good you don't need any other type. I would have preferred a hotter one. One bright spot was fast take out service. Didn't like the dim, cheap looking interior. Go to Famous Dave's, really miss not having Sonny's as it closed down the road and hence this trial.

Pros: smell outside

Cons: everything else

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/30/2008 Posted by Rebecca1982

On April 27th I dropped in for lunch, as I was eating my lunch, a member of management and a server were having a very loud discussion. It was very distracting to me and my family. I then looked up from my table and saw the server flip him the finger right out in the open and said some obscene words. I thought this was a good family restaurant that I could bring my young kids to enjoy lunch. After this episode, I will NOT be returning to dreamland and will pass this on to all of my family and friends!

04/18/2008 Posted by bookreader123456

The food is good, overpriced, but its the people that work there that make you not want to eat there. Not all, but I know that one manager named Jimmy is a real ***hole, and treats the other employees there horribly in front of the customers. And ever since they got a new GM, Larry, things just havent been the same. They are driving all their GOOD people away, not to mention their good customers. You are only as good as your employees, and the way they treat them, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up just Jimmy and Larry, good luck then. Won't go back, and telling everyone I know how they treat people, and telling them NOT to spend their money there.

Pros: Good food if you don't mind the cost, and the waitress I had was GREAT, I hope they don't drive her away too

Cons: Management and how they treat their employees...its a shame

04/11/2008 Posted by CJTMG

We pass by Dreamland BBQ all the time and the smell always makes us wish we had more time to stop in and eat - it always smells so "dreamy"! Well we finally had the chance to do just that the other day and we all wish we had just keep driving on down the road dreaming about it! Now we are dreaming about it but it's nightmares we're having now. The tea was not all that - it wasn't done the right way like someone else mentioned in their review - too hot, not enough ice and tasted old. Though I will agree with the statement that the fries were done right, crispy on the outside soft on the inside. That's the only nice thing I have to say about the experience. The service - well how do you call it service when you have to go and hunt them down just to find out where the server is and the food? A 30 minute wait for 2 pulled pork sandwiches and an order of fries?!? The pork tasted like someone had dropped a bottle of salt on it. But now after all 3 of us have spent the next day in the restroom unable to leave I wonder if all the salt was on it because they were trying to preserve old meat and make it last longer? Signature sauce? Is that what you call dressed up ketchup? My advice is that if your driving past Dreamland and smell the wonderful aromas coming from there enjoy it because that's the only thing that's good about it! Keep dreaming of what it might taste like, I can guarantee your dreams will be a whole lot better than spending the day in the restroom! My husband is from Alabama and Dreamland in Alpharetta is giving Alabama a very, very, very bad name!

Pros: Smells great from OUTSIDE

Cons: Service, Food, Price - EVERYTHING

04/05/2008 Posted by secretagentwang

I've visited the Dreamland in Birmingham, and it was very good BBQ. So I assumed that their Alpharetta location would be equally (or close to) as good. I was very wrong. The good: the sweet tea was done right, which seems to be a rarity nowadays. The fries were crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside (perfect, to me). The service was fairly attentive, and there was plenty of seating (the place is very kid friendly). The do bring out a bunch of slices of Sunbeam and sauce for dipping, which I found to be tasty. The bad: Just about everything else. The chicken was dry and tasteless. The ribs were the opposite of what ribs should be: I literally had to tear the meat off of the bone, and once I removed it I found it to be dry and very overcooked. Dousing it in their sauce helped (note that they served a Carolina style sauce, in case you particularly like or dislike that style) in a small way, but to me, good ribs shouldn't require sauce if they're done right. The pulled pork was a little better, but still required a large amount of sauce before I felt comfortable choking it down. Overall, I'd recommend that you skip this place, unless you're in a bind. I'm sure that there are better BBQ joints to be had in Alpharetta (I haven't visited it, but I saw a Spiced Right just down the road). Oh, also note that they serve beer and wine only- no liquor to be had.

Pros: Kid friendly, ample seating, good tea

Cons: Poor example of BBQ

03/24/2008 Posted by spiffsteph

After seeing Dreamland’s highly rated reviews, we decided to give it a shot. It’s a normal BBQ place, but it’s really nothing special. I wasn’t very fond of their signature sauce, and because it’s the only sauce (other than ketchup) that they have, I was stuck with it. The chicken was alright, but no better than any smoked chicken I’ve had anywhere else. My boyfriend ordered a combo of some ribs and pulled pork and said the pork was dry, and the ribs were pretty tough. Overall, the service was good and very fast, but the I’ve had better (and cheaper) BBQ elsewhere.

Pros: Fast service

Cons: Food isn't that great

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

06/27/2007 Posted by 1911guy

Great ribs. If you're there during peak hours you might get a slab that's been cooked earlier. I just ask for a fresh slab. I used to stop at the original locations in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa on business, so I was happy when they opened in Atlanta.

Pros: Great Ribs! Just make sure they are hot off the pit

Cons: You might get some that have been precooked unless you ask

06/23/2007 Posted by tfrad1960

Not good, just not good. The meat was overcooked, the sauce was flavorless, and the service was slow.

Pros: It was open.

Cons: It was open.

05/09/2007 Posted by belleromeo

I was really anxious to go to Dreamland (ATL) after seeing a special on TV. I was disappointed. The service was excellent, but the food (ribs) were not what I expected, at all. They weren't falling off the bones, they were cold, not even warm, the ribs were too tough, however the fries and slaw were good. Maybe it is just the Dreamland BBQ in ATL, but I would not recommend it.

Pros: Service

Cons: Ribs

06/10/2005 Posted by redhotholly

finger-licking good, the best ribs around Atlanta by far! Even their baked beans and potato salad are excellent!

Pros: meal size, fast service, great sweet tea

Cons: none